DONA PAULA - A LOVE STORY ON VALENTINE'S DAY

 

                                                

                                                         

                                                                      Author  Johnson Vj

 

 

DONA PAULA  -  A LOVE STORY ON VALENTINE'S DAY

Dona was the beautiful daughter of the then Portuguese Viceroy of Goa.  She was truly deeply, madly in love with a local low caste poor fisherman yet macho, appealingly handsome guy, Paula.

 

But their love story didn't succeed because of huge social status, caste, and cultural variation. Their marriage was opposed by Dona's father and one fine day both of them decided to end their life. They jumped off a cliff into the Arabian Sea. Their body found as like eternally hugged by being together in one another's arms forever.

Left with nothing but his daughter’s memory, the Portuguese Viceroy named the area Dona Paula, as an eternal tribute to his stubbornness and forbidden love and romance.

  

  

                                      

                                   

The Hindi film "Ek duuje ke liye" was shot mostly in that area.  The film also had a tragic end with both the hero and heroine committing suicide together at the end.  This is a modern-day account of love and togetherness till the very end.

                             

                                       

 

The location has become a Director's favorite for shooting.  Rohit Shetty's blockbuster film "Singham" had some scenes shot in that place.

 

When I wanted to write a blog post about a "Valentine's Day" Love Story I preferred a post that portrays a happy ending like a Bollywood film. However, I could not resist the temptation to write an episode of immortal love. Dona and Paula together committed suicide and their bodies were found entangled in the seawater.

 

 

While on the subject, I would like to throw some light on Valentine's Day which is celebrated on February 14.  There is more to the day of celebrations with flowers, chocolates, gifts, and candyfloss romance.

 

The 8th-century Gelasian Sacramentary recorded the celebration of the Feast of Saint Valentine on February 14. The day became associated with romantic love in the 14th and 15th centuries when notions of courtly love flourished, apparently by association with the "lovebirds" of early spring. 

 


Saint Valentine was a priest and a bishop later on who was arrested for defying a Roman decree that forbade soldiers from marrying. He was executed by Emperor Claudius II Gothicus on February 14.

Saint Valentine's martyrdom was observed on February 14. 

Saint Valentine was a patron saint of love. The message of love spread to couples and other family members later.

 

 

Dona-Paula has a high-rise rock garden.  The Statue on the Rock is dedicated to Dona and Paula.  It was a Dutch sculptress, Baroness Yrse Von Leistner who etched the sculpture.

 

                                 

                                      

 

Dona Paula is one of the most popular tourist hangouts in Goa, India famous for its vast stretch of beach. The small beach is also popular as the Lover's Paradise and features a jetty (Dona Paula Jetty) adjacent to it, which provides an ethereal view of the Arabian Sea and Mormugao harbor.

Dona Paula Beach also is the confluence of the Zuari and Mandovi Rivers and is beautified by fronds of palm trees breaking the silvery shimmer of the beach sand. The beach is popular for the host of water sports.

 

Lined by palm trees and casuarina woods, Dona Paula View Point attracts tourists from all over the world for the scenic views that it offers. Take a walk along the viewpoint or the coastline while the cool breeze blows gently on your face or simply enjoy the endless vistas of blue and green, your visit to Dona Paula will be unforgettable.

 

While here, you can also shop for local knick-knacks at the beach side stalls while enjoying delicious seafood at the local restaurants as the sun starts to set on Dona Paula View Point. Please note that if you wish to witness the sunset here, try to reach the viewpoint half an hour earlier than planned as it only has space for 50 people.

 

Dona Paula is currently under construction and not open to tourists.  

There are many popular myths and romantic legends that surround this famous tourist spot. One legend has it that Dona Paula was the lady-in-waiting of the Governor-General's wife. The Governor fell in love with Dona's beauty and charm, and when the infuriated wife found out about the affair, she commanded that Dona be stripped, bound, and rolled over the cliff into the sea, wearing only the string of pearls that the Governor had gifted her.

 

 

 

Local fishermen can enthrall you with marvelous ghost stories to relate to this incident. Some say that Dona's ghost appears on moonlit nights, while others say that it appears on pitch-dark nights. Nevertheless, the consensus is that the spirit seems to rise from the sea at the stroke of midnight and can be seen wearing nothing but the necklace. 

 

While we discuss the love story of Dona-Paula, let's also find out why Goa is the best tourist destination for Honeymoon.

 

Goa has always been one of the most beautiful honeymoon destinations in the whole of India, being blessed with miles of scenic beaches with swaying coconut palms, old colonial Heritage Portuguese buildings, delicious cuisine, and an easy-going, laid-back populace.

 

 

 

And most Honeymoon Couples that stay in one of the Honeymoon Suites often ask for a list of things to do while they are on their honeymoon in Goa.

 

There is nothing more romantic than walking hand-in-hand across miles and miles of scenic beach. And Goa does have a wide variety of beaches to offer.   One cannot stop from admiring the expanse of seemingly endless blue ocean.

 

 

                          

                                

Goa is a small state in India. Goa is famous for its lovely beaches, fabulous nightlife, beautiful shacks, delicious kinds of seafood, and water sports activities.



Among them, beaches are the main tourist attraction center of Goa. Every year millions of tourists come to Goa to enjoy its beautiful beaches. Some of India’s Best Beaches are present in Goa.

 

Dona Paula is an old village and the most visited place in Goa. It is closest to the capital of Goa, Panjim. Dona Paula is located in the southern part of the rocky headland.

This Beach is famous for its various types of water activities like windsurfing, water-skiing, parasailing, snorkeling, ski-bob, kayaking, yachting, swimming, sport fishing, toboggan ski-biscuit, and harpoon fishing.

 

Apart from these activities, you can enjoy the street markets, bars, pubs, tattoo shops etc.

To sum up, Goa is the best tourist destination and Honeymoon paradise in India.